The 2024 Motorsports Thread

[davenportram]

Start predictions

 

Nortis and Piastri keep it clean avoid contact 

Alonso forces Max wide in turn one, Max ends up infront but then made to give position back while McLaren make it to the front. 
 

following that Alonso holds Max up until first pit stop or Max goes crazy launches one up the inside and crashes into Alonso

 

if Max makes it past Alonso then the UK GP drivers mafia takes over and Russell and Hamilton hold Max up while Lando builds a pit stop lead on Piastri in 2nd place. Piastri ready to be tail gunner and keep max just out of DRS range to take a 1-2 to Mclaren

 

[RadioactiveWaste]

Interested to see how this one plays out.

I can see Perez dropping back to about 5th whilst max makes it up to about P3 or 4.

If it's dry, I think the McLarens will make it up to the front, if it's iffy it could be interesting out of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes as to who handles it best.

[Gaspode]

A proper race - woohoo!!!

[Andicis]

On 25/07/2024 at 20:11, Andicis said:

Merc coming in with upgrades and racing in the cool weather, if Max gets a penalty, George and Lewis will push Lando this weekend I feel. 

I don't think Lando can win a driver's title. I just don't think he's consistent enough at the big moments in races. Maybe that'll change. 

Was right about Lewis and George. 

What a race from Russell. Super impressed by his decision making and defensive driving. Merc is legitimately fast now. Excellent news. 

[Andicis]

Also, that's why Lando won't win a driver's championship. He just isn't a winner. A good driver, but he doesn't have the ruthless winning streak in him. Russell has won more races this year than Lando in his career. 

[Gaspode]

George disqualified for an underweight car - Lewis inherits the win...

[Andicis]

37 minutes ago, Gaspode said:

George disqualified for an underweight car - Lewis inherits the win...

Gutted. George deserved that for his fantastic drive today. 

[ThePrisoner]

A great race today. So much more interesting when the crybaby is half way down the pack. And lol Perez. Sad for George though, disqualification aside he drove a fantastic race. 

[Alph]

Very disappointing from Norris. It's one thing after another. A mistake here and there, poor launch, bad decision... It seems nobody is as good at sabotaging Norris as Norris is. He has to find another level if he's going to be world champion. 

Too many of his competitors can dig deep in the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th best car. While he and McLaren have a habit of giving away opportunities. 

Just seems too soon for the team and the drivers to win world championships with so many errors. If they do win the constructors then surely it's down to Perez and RB's insistence on sticking by him when it's over. 

I hope Davenport is right about McLaren. They have a great car with exciting drivers. But experience kicks their arse. 

It's hard to bet against Verstappen when he just drags out performance so consistently. He's a machine. Then even if you match him he's prepared to do anything to win. Just can't see Norris or Piastri having what it takes this year

[RadioactiveWaste]

Just caught up with todays race and there's a fair bit to digest.

Gutted for Russell, that was a hell of a drive.

I think I'm going to say Lando finishing behin Max was as much about Max being able to keep his tyres alive and be quick where he needed to be to keep Lando behind.

Good drive from Piastri and from Leclerc.

Ocon I think gets my shout out from lower down and surely that's Checo's last race in a red bull. It's hard to tell if he's swapping position with his team mate because he pulled the same level defence against everyone else who wanted past him.

[Andicis]

14 minutes ago, Alph said:

Very disappointing from Norris. It's one thing after another. A mistake here and there, poor launch, bad decision... It seems nobody is as good at sabotaging Norris as Norris is. He has to find another level if he's going to be world champion. 

Too many of his competitors can dig deep in the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th best car. While he and McLaren have a habit of giving away opportunities. 

Just seems too soon for the team and the drivers to win world championships with so many errors. If they do win the constructors then surely it's down to Perez and RB's insistence on sticking by him when it's over. 

I hope Davenport is right about McLaren. They have a great car with exciting drivers. But experience kicks their arse. 

It's hard to bet against Verstappen when he just drags out performance so consistently. He's a machine. Then even if you match him he's prepared to do anything to win. Just can't see Norris or Piastri having what it takes this year

Very much agree with this post. 

I genuinely think if you put Lewis, Max, George, Charles, Fernando in that McLaren and they'd be banging out win after win.

Instead he's only got over the line first once. The mercedes is winning more races despite being slower just down to driver and team calibre. 

I think Oscar will progress into a better driver than Lando. And that's so disappointing. Lando has raw pace, but not the 'x factor' whatever it is. That critical decision making, the ability to find an extra level under pressure. It just isn't there.

[ColonelBlimp]

9 hours ago, Andicis said:

Very much agree with this post. 

I genuinely think if you put Lewis, Max, George, Charles, Fernando in that McLaren and they'd be banging out win after win.

Instead he's only got over the line first once. The mercedes is winning more races despite being slower just down to driver and team calibre. 

I think Oscar will progress into a better driver than Lando. And that's so disappointing. Lando has raw pace, but not the 'x factor' whatever it is. That critical decision making, the ability to find an extra level under pressure. It just isn't there.

Kind of agree with that, but I would say most of his issues are from failing to get off the line and keep position. 

Everything else stems from that as he's then out of position.

 

He needs to sort his starts out then you'll see him win more races. I rate him highly, and Oscar.

[RadioactiveWaste]

I think the "Max's challengers" crop of Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Russell are all talented enough to mount a proper challenge but each of them have flaws (although as soon as he's not running free ahead of everyone, so has Max) - It's going to be an interesting few years as long fate conspires not to give Verstappen a dominant car again. Added to that there's Bearman and Antoneli who might join the ranks of challengers and will Lewis have one last proper go at it with Ferrari.

<waits for F1 to change the rules and make everything suck again>

[Gaspode]

Carlos Sainz signs for Williams....

[davenportram]

18 hours ago, Alph said:

Very disappointing from Norris. It's one thing after another. A mistake here and there, poor launch, bad decision... It seems nobody is as good at sabotaging Norris as Norris is. He has to find another level if he's going to be world champion. 

Too many of his competitors can dig deep in the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th best car. While he and McLaren have a habit of giving away opportunities. 

Just seems too soon for the team and the drivers to win world championships with so many errors. If they do win the constructors then surely it's down to Perez and RB's insistence on sticking by him when it's over. 

I hope Davenport is right about McLaren. They have a great car with exciting drivers. But experience kicks their arse. 

It's hard to bet against Verstappen when he just drags out performance so consistently. He's a machine. Then even if you match him he's prepared to do anything to win. Just can't see Norris or Piastri having what it takes this year

Red Bull were the same when they first started having a fast car - inexperience breeds mistakes and a steep learning curve is needed.

i expect a new strategist or two will appear over the summer break or by next season

As soon as Russell said “I can go to the end” Norris should have done the same, it was the only way he was going to have a chance of finishing ahead of Verstappen. His tyres were younger than Russels and he was fast too. 
 

i think it was a case of “two stops is best so let’s stick with it” for a lot of teams

[davenportram]

6 hours ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

I think the "Max's challengers" crop of Leclerc, Norris, Piastri, Russell are all talented enough to mount a proper challenge but each of them have flaws (although as soon as he's not running free ahead of everyone, so has Max) - It's going to be an interesting few years as long fate conspires not to give Verstappen a dominant car again. Added to that there's Bearman and Antoneli who might join the ranks of challengers and will Lewis have one last proper go at it with Ferrari.

<waits for F1 to change the rules and make everything suck again>

2026 will belong to whoever gets Newey’s signature.

[davenportram]

18 hours ago, Andicis said:

Very much agree with this post. 

I genuinely think if you put Lewis, Max, George, Charles, Fernando in that McLaren and they'd be banging out win after win.

Instead he's only got over the line first once. The mercedes is winning more races despite being slower just down to driver and team calibre. 

I think Oscar will progress into a better driver than Lando. And that's so disappointing. Lando has raw pace, but not the 'x factor' whatever it is. That critical decision making, the ability to find an extra level under pressure. It just isn't there.

The same criticism was levelled at Mansell for a time early in his career. 

[Comrade 86]

33 minutes ago, Gaspode said:

Carlos Sainz signs for Williams....

Antonelli for the Merc seat?

Maybe Lewis's lawyers have found a get-out clause in his Ferrari contract... 😋

[RadioactiveWaste]

Can you imagine that there's a timeline where Carlos Sainz goes to William's and red bull don't sack Perez. I bet there's a ton utterly weird stuff happened in that version of the universe.

Oh.

Really.

f**** sake ......

[Alph]

9 hours ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

Can you imagine that there's a timeline where Carlos Sainz goes to William's and red bull don't sack Perez. I bet there's a ton utterly weird stuff happened in that version of the universe.

Oh.

Really.

f**** sake ......

I bet somebody at Red Bull suggested moving for Sainz. I like to imagine he/she has spent the last month in a dark basement at Milton Keynes HQ replying to Verstappen's fan mail.